0-2 Steelers Have Made The Playoffs Three Out Of Four Times In Last 25 Years

Should the Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night, it will mark just the eighth time since 1966 that they have started a season 0-2. However, according to a Monday morning post by ESPN, a winless Steelers team after the first two weeks hasn’t been a death knell in Pittsburgh over the course of the last 25 years.

Three of the last four times the Steelers have started 0-2 dating back to 1989, the team not only finished with a winning record, they also made the playoffs. The last time that this happened was in 2002 when the Steelers finished the season 10-6 after losing their first two games to the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders.

In 1989 and 1993, the Steelers also started 0-2 and went on to record 9-7 seasons in both of those years on their way to Wild Card births.

2000 was the last time a Steelers team started the season winless after two games and that time a winning record of 9-7 wasn’t good enough for them to make the playoffs.

Judging by the way the other teams look right now in the AFC North to start the season, a 9-7 record might just win the division, so all hope shouldn’t be lost if the Steelers are unable to notch their first win of the 2013 season Monday night in Cincinnati.

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I’m not as concerned about 0-2 as much as I am with how we perform tonight! If we lose but play a strong game ill be ok! It’s 0-4 that scares me! If we get destroyed and embarrassed again tonight that’s a different story, we need to play a good football game tonight and show the nfl that we’re still a team to fear!

Deuce22

Ben needs to get the chance to utilize the no-huddle a lot more. He seems to be a lot better when he is in control and calling the plays at the line. Todd Haley has a great scheme, but sometimes when you have a quarterback like Ben, you have to let him just take control of the game and roll with it.

Luke Shabro

0-3 is such a strong possibility that it makes me sick. I’m trying hard to push Week 1 out of my mind but it was such a stinker it’s hard to. I keep wishing I would go to sleep and I would wake up with it being after the bye week and Heath and LeVeon Bell are ready to go.

Luke Shabro

I agree with everything except Todd Haley has a great scheme. Maybe without Bell and Miller out he has a great scheme but good O coordinators have to adjust to the personnel they have. Thank God Will Johnson will be good to go

Deuce22

well the only reason I say Todd has a good scheme is because of what he was capable of doing with the Cardinals and Chiefs years ago. If our o-line can block according, then his scheme works. but with out a running game and a piss poor o-line were SOL.

T R

Dont matter. Steelers will win tonight.. This is how the Steelers do… We shall win..

chris ward

Hoping for a Steelers win tonight , but if they were to lose it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Just hope it is competitive and the O-line performs better. After seeing the Browns and Ravens, it doesn’t look like the AFC North is going to be as tough as it was in years past. If the Steelers were to go 0-2, there is still 14 games and 5 divisional games left.

Shannon Stephenson

I honestly expect us to lose not only this game but next game too but have us still winning 10 games. I think it will get better for us. Hoping for win today though…keeping fingers crossed

NW86

It sounds crazy but I actually agree with you. The team should get better after the bye week, and the schedule the rest of the season isn’t really all that difficult. If we can just get 1 win in before the bye, and not lose any more starters to serious injuries, I think we could be OK for the season.

Shannon Stephenson

The key to it is something you nailed on the head and that is the overall health of the team. If we can stop the bleeding on all the injuries we have a good shot of at least the playoffs.

Bilgewater D

If we go 0-2, we’re going 0-3 next week.

charles

Houston just barely beat the Titans yesterday. Tennesee may be better than the commenters are realizing. Cincinnati also gave up a lot of points to a ho hum Chicago offense. Things are nowhere near as bad as everybody is acting like. The Oline definitely has to play more coherently, but it will still be only their second game together, I think the Steelers will win tonight. It is more important for a victory tonight than last week for obvios reasons.

Christopher Wilkes

How about NO team has made the playoffs or even had a winning record the last 4 years after starting out 0-2?

Bob Graff

The Steelers have never dealt with something like this. The roster is soft on the offensive side of the ball. Whole sale changes need to be made, but they won’t admit it. Every one is waiting for Bell , but if truth be told there are no 6′ 1″ 230 pound RB’s making a living in the NFL. Why? they are an easy target. Then everyone insist that we have a good WR corp. Is it true?? or is it just Haley, or both.

Bob Graff

Hey did you see the difference W.Johnson made . It’s almost like you can actually see into the future. Todd Haley is a real hum dinger did you see what he did tonight , same as he did for the chiefs [NOTHING]